EVERETT — On the night of June 10, Daniel Brakke took his dad to a Mariners game.
On the drive back to Everett, they talked about the future — Brakke’s plans to become an electrician, a concert in September, a relative’s first birthday party in Montana.
When they got home around midnight, Timothy Brakke thanked his son.
Daniel Brakke said to his dog, “Let’s go for a walk.” Those were the final words Timothy Brakke heard Daniel say.
At 11:59 p.m., Daniel Brakke’s girlfriend, Taylor Allen, watched a video he sent her. In it, Brakke laughed and his dog smiled.
Minutes later, an impaired driver hit and killed Daniel Brakke, 30. Timothy Brakke heard what sounded like a transformer exploding.
On Wednesday, Daniel Rodrigues, 31, was sentenced to eight years in prison for Brakke’s death. Late last month, he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide.
Deputy prosecutor Tobin Darrow noted the speedy resolution to the case is rare.
“The system doesn’t really work much better than in this case,” Darrow said.
Under state sentencing guidelines, Rodrigues faced from 6½ to 8½ years. In a plea agreement, prosecutors and the defense agreed to a prison term at the low end of that range. But in court Wednesday, Allen and Brakke’s father pushed for a heftier sentence than the one prosecutors and Rodrigues’ defense attorney agreed to.
“There is no future at all for our Daniel or our lives with him,” Timothy Brakke said. “There are only our memories.”
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Jon Scott decided to sentence Rodrigues to eight years.
‘I never imagined’
Around midnight on June 11, residents on Glenwood Avenue found a Mazda had driven into some thick ivy bushes on the west side of the road, according to charging papers. It had extensive damage, including a peeled-back hood lying flat against the windshield.
The witnesses pulled Rodrigues out of the driver’s seat. He looked “out of it,” they reported.
Then they reportedly found Brakke’s body south of the Mazda. Paramedics declared him dead on scene. North of his body was a deceased dog wearing a reflective harness.
When officers arrived, Rodrigues was on his knees outside the Mazda. He called himself a drunk “idiot,” according to court documents. He reported the collision was his fault and repeatedly asked if he hurt anyone.
When police put him under arrest, the defendant said, “I am the reason someone is dead,” according to the charges. He added he deserved to go to jail.
Rodrigues said he’d bought alcohol at a local market, gone home and drank it. After that, he drove to 7-Eleven to get more.
A blood sample later found his blood-alcohol content was 0.23, almost three times the legal limit, according to court papers.
A collision investigator determined Rodrigues was driving north on Glenwood before the crash. The suspect didn’t take into account a slight curve in the road, then crossed the road and struck the curb. He kept driving north on the southbound shoulder, hit a power pole, then struck Brakke and the dog.
The Mazda continued north across driveways and lawns before crashing into a tree, the investigator found.
Detectives reportedly also determined Rodrigues was driving 103 mph five seconds prior to impact. Two seconds later, he was up to 107. The speed limit on that stretch of Glenwood Avenue was 35 mph.
With bail set at $500,000, Rodrigues had remained in the Snohomish County Jail since his arrest. He had no prior felony convictions and five misdemeanor violations, all of which were more than 10 years ago, according to court records.
The defendant’s attorney Phillip Weinberg said his client has dealt with addiction his whole life. Facing the victim’s family and friends, the defendant apologized.
“I never imagined my drinking would hurt anybody,” Rodrigues said. “It’s something that I’ll live with for the rest of my life.”
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.
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